In theaters this week
Published 8:22 am Friday, May 4, 2018
Can’t decide what to see this weekend?
Bowling Green Daily News film critic Micheal Compton is here to tell you the best – and worst – now playing at your local cineplex.
Avengers: Infinity War (B)
A culmination of 10 years of Marvel Comics Universe films come together in this overstuffed, but ultimately entertaining mash-up. The interactions among characters alone makes this worth seeing, although it doesn’t quite hit the bench mark of the upper echelon Marvel films. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas, Franklin Drive-In)
Bad Samaritan (not reviewed at this time)
(Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12)
Black Panther (A)
The Marvel Universe film franchise rises to a new level with “Black Panther,” a beautiful and engaging entry that transcends the comic-book genre in every way.
In the sure hands of writer and director Ryan Coogler – who recently gave the Rocky Balboa series new life with “Creed” – this is a fully realized, stand-alone story with rich characters and a wonderful new world to explore: The fictional Wakanda, a reclusive African nation where technology has advanced far beyond anything the rest of the world can imagine. (Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Franklin Drive-In)
Blockers (C+)
This comedy is a film full of potential – a talented cast willing to do anything for a laugh, a high-concept premise that can go in plenty of promising directions, and some genuinely laugh-out-loud set pieces.
But for all of its potential, the film falls short of the finish line – unable to balance laughs with sentimental moments that sap out all of the comedic moments the cast worked so hard at achieving. (Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10)
Blumhouse’s Truth of Dare (F)
Truth or dare has always seemed like a dumb game.
Turning that concept into a feature-length film seems even dumber.
Yet here we are with “Truth or Dare,” the latest from the Blumhouse studio that also produced “Get Out,” “The Purge” films, and “Happy Death Day.” This film is not even close to the same league as that group of films because it’s a horrible idea gone bad with not even an ounce of creativity. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Highland Cinemas)
Chappaquiddick (B)
A solid recreation of the auto accident that left one woman dead and essentially shattered any future political aspirations for Ted Kennedy. The film may not provide much insight into the accident itself, but it definitely provides insight into the cover-up. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12)
I Can Only Imagine (C)
The true story of the popular Christian song of the same name suffers from a completely bland lead and a script that plays into cliches way too much. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12)
I Feel Pretty (C)
This comedy struggles to get much out of a shaky concept, Amy Schumer as a woman who gets bumped on the head and wakes up thinking a “magic” spell has made her beautiful, however the film does prove to have one ace up it’s sleeve – Michelle Williams in a delightfully comic role as Schumer’s boss. Williams approaches it with such gusto it made me wish her character had her own movie. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10)
A Quiet Place (B)
Following up his feature-length directing debut “The Hollars,” which he also starred in, John Krasinski wrote, directed and acted here – creating a thriller that relies heavily on silence and anticipation. It’s nearly flawless from a technical standpoint, with some outstanding acting from Krasinski and real-life wife Emily Blunt. They play Lee and Evelyn Abbott, parents desperate to protect their children in a dystopian future where creatures that use sound to hunt have overtaken Earth with humans forced to live in a near-silent existence. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas)
Rampage (D+)
The latest adaptation of a video game, this time starring Dwayne Johnson, is a giant mess of an action film, even messier than the remains of downtown Chicago in the film’s final act. It’s a movie that has one thing going for it – Johnson and a giant gorilla facing off against a giant wolf and a giant alligator – and then proceeds to go to that well way too often. (Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas)
Ready Player One (B)
the latest from director Steven Spielberg, is a big ol’ slice of nostalgia pie that is easily consumed.
This visual smorgasbord, full of pop culture references ranging from the Atari 2600 to “Child’s Play,” finds Spielberg channeling his ’80s blockbuster self – a throwback to his previous work “E.T.” and “Jurassic Park” that allows the director to create and explore a vast new world sure to thrill audiences young and old. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12)
Super Troopers 2 (D)
A series of crude jokes strung together in a completely unfunny manner. There is probably a reason it took 17 years to make a sequel. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Highland Cinemas)
Traffik (not reviewed at this time)
(Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10)
Tully (not reviewed at this time)
(Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10)
A Wrinkle in Time (B-)
This Disney epic aimed at young girls is a beautiful film that will satisfy its target audience, with enough sprinkled in to interest everyone else too. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12)